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GMTK Insider (August 2017)
🕑 Added 2017-08-31 14:30:39 +0000 UTC Hello all!I decided to rename the newsletter. I used to talk about the games I’ve been playing, but this month I realised that it will all be covered in Game Maker’s Playlist or separate articles.
So instead, this monthly update will be all behind the scenes type stuff on GMTK. How I made stuff, what I’m working on, what ideas I have, and a chance for you to get involved with future episodes.
Unfortunately, my new video isn’t quite ready! It’s a real beast - lots of research, a huge script, loads of games, and lots of motion graphics. So I need a few more days. I’ll do some extra thoughts on that video after its out.
Boss Keys
I’m getting very close to the end of Boss Keys, now. I’m mostly just pleased that I’ll be seeing the project through to the end. It’s not uncommon for a YouTube series like this to fizzle out, but my silly 13 episode, year-long project will be finished!
A Link Between Worlds gave me a chance to talk about the Zelda overworlds, and how they have changed. And I’m also pleased with the way I’ve been able to split the dungeons into three groups. It makes it much easier to understand how Zelda changed, and for people to get what they love about Zelda.
Personally, I love the puzzle box dungeons the most and my thinking right now is that the episode of GMTK (Boss Keys was supposed to be a research project for an eventual episode of the main show) will be about how those are designed. But we’ll see.
I’ve got some thoughts for what I’ll be doing with Boss Keys after Zelda. I’m thinking maybe I’ll do some one-off episodes about individual games with non-linear level design, before starting Season 2 with another franchise. Almost certainly Metroid.
I’ve learned a lot from the Zelda series so I’ll hit the ground running with this one. Main takeaways: don’t just wing it episode to episode, plan ahead! Focus more on the research than the personal opinions! Avoid repeating oneself from episode to episode! Define a visual language from episode 1 and stick to it!
Streaming
A quick note to note that I’m doing more streaming. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done so far (technical issues not withstanding). The current plan is to stream on Tuesday evenings, live on YouTube. I’ll also maybe make a stream archive somewhere for those who can’t watch at the time.
Streaming is important for me because it lets me show my personality in a way that doesn’t really come across in the main videos. And I also get to show and talk about new games, which I don’t do as much on GMTK.
Why? Well, I generally like to let a game sit for a while. I’m not into hype culture and I think we can all get a bit too excited about a game the moment it comes out. It’s often better to come back in a few months, after the honeymoon period, to really see how the game holds up.
Plus, everyone is already doing it. If I made a video about Sonic Mania or Hellblade right now, it would be competing with loads of similar videos. And while I trust that you’d all watch mine too, I’d rather just be the one guy making a video on, I dunno, No One Lives Forever while everyone else is busy with the brand new stuff.
Sneak Peek: How It Changed
I really enjoyed doing my Dead Space videos, where I looked at how a franchise changed over time. I’d like to do it more often with different gaming series, perhaps under a new title. Thinking “How It Changed”, but open to ideas.
So I’m currently working on one for another “dead” game, Dead Rising. This is a series that also went through a lot of changes over time and while the story is kinda similar to Dead Space (devs ripped out what made the game’s special to appeal to a wider audience), the specifics are different.
Dead Rising 1 is a strange game. It’s a goofy comedy about killing zombies with skateboards while wearing a sharp suit and a horse head. And yet it’s also a gruelling task with timers, save restrictions, and repetition.
I think this side of the game is really interesting, though. The timer leads to difficult decisions (do I have enough time to save another survivor before this case expires) and rewards thorough understanding of the mall.
But the sorta-permadeath (in that you choose when you permadie, and you carry over your experience points) doesn’t really work if you ask me. Repeating content is kinda fun in that you get more efficient each time, but it’s still a bore. And (from my experience) because you repeat the early game a lot and then do the second half straight through, it feels more like a quick attempt to fix bad balancing than anything.
For Dead Rising 2, which I’m playing now, it seems like they’ve stuck to the same formula but papered over the cracks (small quality of life improvements, multiple save slots, the game’s generally easier) instead of fundamentally fixing this perfectly salvageable element.
Anyway, this series will take infinitely long to make each episode because I don’t want to it impact other videos too much. Instead, I’ll be playing the games in my leisure time - which means the process will be slow. But we’ll see what people think when the first ep is out!
More Sneak Peeks
Okay, so I didn’t do the episode on skill trees but I’ve still got that in my back pocket. Other thoughts for September are:
A look at Dishonored 2’s level design. With the Death of the Outsider DLC out soon this felt like a good time to return to Dishonored and see how the game’s best levels work.
Metroid 2 vs Metroid 2 vs Metroid 2. That’s the original Game Boy game, the fan remake AM2R, and the official remake Samus Returns. How did Nintendo/Mercury Steam and some super fan approach this same task? Keen to find out!
How games encourage behaviour. It seems like “encourage” is one of the most frequently used words in design talk. Game designers can encourage players to see their game in the best light, and discourage them from taking the fun out of a game. How? Why? Where? When? Bueller?
For now though
Thank you so much for your support. I can’t ever thank you all enough for what you have done. Your kindness and generosity has allowed me to turn a passion into a full time gig and I couldn’t be happier to be committing myself to such a fun, evolving, and rewarding thing. Ta!
Comments
TheSandromatic
I was half tempted to make the Samus Returns vs AM2R video myself. I'm really interested in comparing the two, it's a very unique situation having two remakes of the same game released around the same time by two completely separate dev teams.
Super pumped about the Metroid 2 video idea. I loved AM2R, and Samus Returns is looking really good, so a deep dive into the different approaches on adapting the original game will be really interesting.
Nicolas Braun
Um, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious.
Luke Mileto
I second that. (o・ω・o) Watching it felt like a journey
Thomas Bickley
"Define a visual language from episode 1 and stick to it!" I actually really enjoyed seeing how your visual language evolved throughout the series as your understanding of the dungeon structures developed with each game, but that may just be me loving some good graph porn.
Alternative title for the "How it changed" videos - How about "Evolve and Devolve"? It's got aspects of change and failing to change successfully, both of which are common in franchises. Devolve also has meanings of transferring from one to another, so it kind hits on two levels. Of course it also has repetition, so it's more memorable.
If you are going to do more "How It Changed" videos, might i suggest the Shock (System Shock through Bioshock) series as a potential topic? While i know that Errant Signal sort of talked about it in his video essays on Bioshock Infinite and 0451 games, I would love to see a coherent and design oriented approach to how a series changed it's focus from resource management to playing factions of against each other to pure combat. While it would end up as similar to the general progression in the Dead Space series, a greater shift towards action, the Shock series would provide an interesting bit of balance as the choices in the Shock series were made by the designers, not by someone on the corporate side. Anyway, i would love to see something on one of the best series by one of the best studios of yesteryear and how their legacy was handled.
Tim Romero
For the title of How It Changed, what about something relating to how game franchises evolve? "Evolution of a (Sequel/Franchise)" or something like that. It's analogous to how sequels change over time to survive the changing markets.
Ian Danskin
If you end up making a video on NOLF, do please tell us how you got it running on a modern machine. That is deep magick.
I think one useful idea about the encouragement idea was the 'play conditioning' that hbomberguy came up with. The video series he used it in was full of very... contestable opinions; but I think that particular term was a gold nugget and more people should start using it. Developing a design vocabulary is good!
Oh by far the most interesting would be your take on the "How games encourage behaviour". I mean, thats such a broad concept/theme it can probably go for a whole series on its own... But it's also ultra important for anyone interested in making games. The analysis (dishonored's leveldesign, metroids) are always great, but the 'finding fun/hooking/encouraging players' in design is probably the most valuable. At the same time though, that's a more abstract talk probably, which is what ExtraCredits used to do (somewhat), your channel was always great because you talk about specifics and not just 'what should be in the perfect world'. But I'm sure your take on even a less specific theme like that would be accompanied with tons of personal insights and references (which help a lot). So I'm really most looking forward to something of the "encouragement in game design" sorts :)
Manuel Alcoba
If the Dishonored 2 level design video goes on, it would be very interesting to draw some comparison between D2 and Prey levels. They are similar games but, for example, the fact that D2 happens in a living city and Prey in a, basically, dead space station influences the level design. Prey levels seem more hostile and, at the same time, more prone to exploration, for example.
Please do a video/stream on NOLF! I just installed both 1 and 2 for a nostalgia burst.
Tom T
Yeah. I've often found that my opinion of some games becomes more negative as time goes on, as I have a chance to think about its flaws. While you're playing through a new game, and even for a little while after you finish it, it's easy to ignore some of the flaws. Off the top of my head: Skyward Sword, Dragon Age Inquisition, and Metroid: Other M had this effect for me.
Tom T
Both the Dishonored video and the Metroid 2 video sound interesting. I've actually been playing Dishonored 2 lately. Speaking of which, another topic that could be explored with those games is how to handle lethal/non-lethal playthrough choices. Dishonored 1 had an issue where non-lethal playthroughs basically required abstaining from a lot of the skill tree. 2 fixes this a lot, particularly if you play as Emily (most of her powers have both lethal and non-lethal uses). That kind of brings up an interesting question though: should non-lethal or morally "good" playthroughs be as fun as lethal runs? Should they be just as fun, but more difficult? I mean, if "good" playthroughs are just as fun and about as difficult as more "evil" playthroughs, doesn't that devalue the choice a bit? Especially since usually non-lethal playthroughs of these types of games result in happier endings. Should the player have to make a sacrifice and avoid easy shortcuts in order to see a happier ending? Or should every playstyle be rewarded in games like this? I don't know what the answer is, but it seems like an interesting game design question that the Dishonored series presents.
Dan Root
Hype culture is definitely a factor when it comes to the by-the-second internet feed we're in now, it's an interesting point when it comes to our sorts of videos. I'm like you where I don't like to be caught up with the torrent of a new game (although I let myself go with Sonic Mania). Plus, I've lots of ideas still brewing in retro games and games from a few years ago. It's all about taking it easy 😎
